- "I volunteer as tribute!"
- —Katniss Everdeen[src]
Katniss volunteering for the 74th Hunger Games.
A volunteer is a person who chose to come forward as tribute for the annual Hunger Games in someone else's place.[1]
Quick Answers
Who was the first character to volunteer as a tribute in the Hunger Games?
Why did Katniss Everdeen volunteer as tribute?
What is the age range for children eligible to volunteer as tribute?
Can a tribute volunteer for someone of the opposite sex?
What happens if a reaped child objects to a volunteer tribute?
Process[]
Eligibility[]
Once a person's name was called in the reaping, other people of reaping age (12-18)[2] and of the tribute's same sex had the opportunity to volunteer in their place. Males could volunteer for the male tribute, and females could volunteer for the female, but not vice-versa. Once a volunteer came forward, any objections from the reaped person or attempts by them to re-volunteer would be ignored, as the volunteer's word took precedent.[1]
Procedure[]
Typically, once a person's name was called, they would proceed to the stage and the escort would ask for volunteers. Someone could then come forward, verbally declare their intent to volunteer, and take the stage in the reaped person's place. Volunteering was "complicated"[2] in the Career districts of 1, 2, and 4, where future tributes trained to take part in the Games;[3] however, the exact procedure there is unknown.
Attitudes[]
The act of volunteering was rare in most districts, largely because most people believed that being reaped was a death sentence. In Career districts, participation was seen as a great honor, so volunteering was far more commonplace. Reasons to volunteer varied from person to person; in Career districts, the goal was usually glory, but elsewhere, volunteers occasionally came forward to protect the reaped child.[1]
History[]
Development[]
While planning the 11th Hunger Games, Coriolanus Snow came up with the idea to construct a neighborhood of lavish mansions, known as the Victors' Village, in each district in order to "tempt a better class of tributes to possibly volunteer." Other incentives included a monetary prize for the victor, and food parcels for their entire district.[4] Over time, Districts 1, 2, and 4 formed a culture of training and volunteering for the Games, and their perennial appearance earned them the name "Careers".[3]
62nd Hunger Games[]
According to Capitol Couture, Enobaria from District 2 volunteered for and won the 62nd Hunger Games.[5]
74th Hunger Games[]
Cato volunteered from District 2.[6] In District 12, Primrose Everdeen's name was pulled from the girls' reaping ball,[2] and after a moment of shock, her older sister Katniss Everdeen jumped in to volunteer— the first tribute from 12 to do so in decades.[1]
Film adaptation[]
Marvel during his interview.
In The Hunger Games film, Katniss was her district's first volunteer ever, and District 4 was not a Career district, making it less likely that their tributes volunteered to participate. Additionally, in deleted scenes from the interview sequence, Marvel spoke about having wanted to volunteer for years, and Caesar Flickerman introduced Clove as "another volunteer".[7]
75th Hunger Games[]
For the third Quarter Quell, tributes were reaped from the existing pool of victors,[8] most of whom were over the age of 18. As a result, the usual rule about being of reaping age was ignored, but only other victors could volunteer to participate.[9]
Volunteers included Brutus from District 2; Mags Flanagan from District 4, in place of a "hysterical" Annie Cresta;[10] and District 12's Peeta Mellark on behalf of Haymitch Abernathy.[9] During the reaping recaps, Effie Trinket commented that "Chaff never could stay out of a fight", implying that he may have volunteered as District 11's male tribute.[10]
Known volunteers[]
Confirmed volunteers[]
74th Hunger Games[]
- Marvel - District 1 (film)
- Clove - District 2
- Cato - District 2
- Katniss Everdeen - District 12 - volunteered for Primrose Everdeen
75th Hunger Games[]
- Brutus - District 2
- Enobaria - District 2
- Mags Flanagan - District 4 - for Annie Cresta
- Peeta Mellark - District 12 - for Haymitch Abernathy
Other[]
- Enobaria - District 2 - 62nd Hunger Games
- Gloss - District 1 - 63rd Hunger Games[11]
Probable volunteers[]
Since Career districts tended to produce more volunteers, known Careers from 1, 2, and 4 are generally assumed to have volunteered.
74th Hunger Games[]
- Glimmer - District 1
- District 4 female (book)
- District 4 male (book)
Other[]
| Hunger Games | Tribute | District |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | Silka Sharp | D1 |
| 64 | Cashmere | |
| 65 | Finnick Odair | D4 |
| 67 | Augustus Braun | D1 |
| 70 | Annie Cresta | D4 |
| District 4 male (70th HG) | ||
| 73 | District 2 male (73rd HG) | D2 |
| Unknown | Lyme | D2 |
| Brutus |
Trivia[]
- District 2 has the most confirmed volunteers at four: Enobaria for both 62nd and 75th Hunger Games;[5] Cato for the 74th,[6] alongside Clove in the film;[7] and Brutus for the 75th.[10]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 The Hunger Games, Chapter 2
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The Hunger Games, Chapter 1
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Hunger Games, Chapter 7
- ↑ The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Epilogue
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Game Faces: District 2’s Enobaria - Capitol Couture
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 The Hunger Games, Chapter 3
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 The Hunger Games (film)
- ↑ Catching Fire, Chapter 12
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Catching Fire, Chapter 13
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Catching Fire, Chapter 14
- ↑ The Hunger Games: The Exhibition - see image
